We all know that breast milk is crucial for all infants. It nourishes their tiny bodies and even aids in the development of their immune systems. However, after they reach the 6-month mark, it is a good idea to introduce some variety into their diet.
Is It Good to Add Fruit and Vegetable Juice to Baby’s Diet?
Yes, the nutrition in vegetable and fruit juice makes it a wonderful choice to include in your baby’s diet. It’s crucial to note, though, that solid meals can’t be replaced with juice alone because her body is still growing and need a lot of protein, lipids, calcium, and other nutrients.
When Should a Baby Begin Drinking Fruit and Vegetable Juices?
“When may babies drink juice?” is a common concern among parents. It’s better to avoid giving her juice for the first six months. This is because she requires all of the space in her tiny abdomen to consume breast milk, which provides both nutrients and antibodies. After that, once your kid has completed the sixth month of life, you can start giving him or her fluids and solid foods.
Things to Remember While Giving Juice to Babies
Fruit juices from cans should be avoided because they are heavy in sugar and lacking in nutrients.
- Instead of a bottle, offer her juice in a cup with a spoon. Begin with tiny amounts, such as two tablespoons per day (broken down into small sips).
- Make sure you give her diluted fluids at first, since this will be gentler on her tummy. This juice can be diluted in a 25:75 ratio at first, with 25 representing the fruit.
- Start with just one fruit or vegetable at a time to help her digestive system adjust.
- Keep an eye out for any allergic reactions that may be produced by the juice, and stop drinking it right away if you detect anything.
- Boil the fruit/vegetables whenever possible and avoid feeding raw juice as much as possible.
- Begin with commonplace foods like apple, pear, carrot, or radish.
- Always check the back of packaged baby juice products to ensure that the juice has been pasteurised.
- Juice should not be substituted for water or solid food.
- Boiling fruits and vegetables should be used in the juice for newborns under the age of seven months. Because babies at this age must be monitored for sensitivities, it is best to use diluted juice. Do not give your youngster more than 2 tbsp each day.
- Raw juice can be given to kids as young as eight months old, but it must be carefully cleansed. Parents can experiment with several types of juices at this age.
- If you feed juice with solid foods, your kid will be able to absorb the extra vitamins more easily.
- The juice of a cooked and stewed apple or pear is the greatest first juice for a baby. Make careful to boil, skew, and crush the apple to extract the juice.
What Fruits & Vegetables Are Best for Babies?
Here is a list of healthy juice for babies:
- Stewed boiled apple juice
- Tender coconut
- Grape juice (raw)
- Muskmelon juice (raw)
- Watermelon juice (raw)
- Boiled carrot juice
- Orange juice (raw)
- Boiled tomato juice
- Sapota juice (raw)
- Boiled pear juice
- Boiled peach juice
- Papaya juice (best avoided during summers)
- Banana juice (raw)
- Lychee juice (raw)
- Mango juice (raw)
Make sure you start with boiling vegetables. You can offer combos such as carrot and apple, apple and banana, and so on after the youngster is familiar with the new food. Vitamin C-rich orange juice and grape juice for babies will protect them from catching a cold.
Can You Give Homemade Juice to Babies?
What specialists have to say is a source of contention. Due to the lack of pasteurisation, organisations such as the American Academy of Paediatrics do not endorse homemade juice. The National Guideline on Infant and Young Child Feeding (INDIA) advises boiled homemade meals and juices for infants and young children. This could be due to a lack of familiarity with packaged goods.
Can You Use the Juice From Fruits That Have Been Steamed (or) Boiled for Fruit Purees?
Although boiling destroys some nutrients, there is no hard and fast rule prohibiting their use. Boiling can really be used to make juice concentrates.
Fruit juice can be used for a variety of purposes, including:
Chemical-Free
Preservative-containing juices should not be consumed by your youngster.
Storage
These juices can be kept in the refrigerator for a long time.
Nutrition
After boiling, some liquids, such as tomatoes, become even more nutritious.
Budget
Homemade concentrates, which are made by boiling, are less expensive than store-bought concentrates.
Edge Over Packaged Juices
The most nutrients are found in the ripest fruits and vegetables. You can assure that homemade juice is more healthy than the boxed versions because you can choose which ones to boil.
Can Fruit Juice Cause Dental Problem in Babies?
Yes. In newborns, an excessive amount of fruit juice might cause tooth difficulties. This is owing to the fact that they contain natural sugar. Following the juice with a few sips of water might be a good idea.
Can Fruit Juice Cause Any Other Harm to Your Baby?
- If a baby is given a lot of fruit juice but not enough solid food, milk, or water, he or she will become malnourished. Undernourishment during the first year of life has an impact on a child’s cognitive abilities, as well as his or her mind and body development.
- Excessive fruit juice contains a lot of sugar and calories, which can lead to weight gain.
- Because juices are devoid of the fibre found in fruits and vegetables, they can cause diarrhoea.
Juices are good for the soul. Allow your baby to sample some extra flavour once she has reached the 6-month milestone. Juices made from fruits and vegetables are nutritious and can help a baby establish a taste for healthful foods at a young age.
FAQ
- Which juice is best for babies?
Types of juice you can give to your child
100 percent pure fruit juice.
100 percent pasteurized.
mild flavors; apple or pear are good ones to start with.
no sugar added. - What is the best fruit and vegetable juice?
Here are the best vegetables to juice to improve your overall health.
Spinach. …
Broccoli. …
Parsley. …
Cucumbers. …
Swiss chard. …
Wheatgrass. …
Celery. Celery juice has started to gain traction in the health world — and for good reason. …
Tomatoes. Share on Pinterest. - What kind of juice can babies have?
Fruit juices should not be given to babies under the age of six months. After six months, children can be given diluted fruit juice (one part juice to ten parts water) with their meals. Fruit juice can help prevent tooth decay if given during mealtimes.
- Can babies drink vegetable juice?
Juices should be avoided for babies under the age of one year since they are nutritionally deficient and increase the risk of tooth decay (2). Juices for babies beyond the age of one year may have similar health benefits to those for adults.